


In My Heart

by Audriss



Category: The Walking Dead (TV), The Walking Dead - All Media Types
Genre: Alexandria Safe-Zone, Angst, Fluff, Love, M/M, One Shot, Resolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-03-02
Packaged: 2018-03-15 23:58:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3466862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Audriss/pseuds/Audriss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl is definitely sure he's not going to fit in that place, ASZ, and Rick tries to convince him other wise. They end up convincing each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In My Heart

**Author's Note:**

> A little fluffy (?) piece for a friend! Because my writing ate my soul.

He was so ready to leave. The whole town thing with people who were signing them all a job here and there wasn’t his thing. He had been a loner before, he was sure he could do it again. He sniffled a little, when he glanced at the crossbow of his next to him on the steps of the porch. He’d been more comfortable at the Greene farm, and even in the prison. Hell, he’d been comfortable on the road even though it had taken a toll out of all of them, and that Judith and Carl couldn’t really take it much longer.

He wasn’t going to stay, he knew that by now. He wasn’t going to stay and it was making him sad all of a sudden.

“Well, fuck this,” he barked to himself, and grabbed the weapon, standing up. He’d take some stuff from the house and then head out of the gates.

“Daryl?”

When he heard someone call his name he almost jumped ten feet up in the air.

“Daryl, what are you doing?” It was Rick. He’d gotten new spiffy outfit. A nice Sheriff thing going on right there. Natural instincts Merle had driven into Daryl’s skull with a jackhammer were slowly taking over – he needed to get far away from anything that carried brass.

“What does it look like I’m doing, man? I’m leaving the fuck out of here,” Daryl growled and flicked the strap of his crossbow over his head.

“Why?”

Daryl didn’t reply. He was feeling cranky, and the sun and the heat didn’t really help the situation at all.

“Why are you leaving?” Rick asked, his voice coming all too soothing and kind and he really couldn’t take it. Not from him.

“What’s it to you?”

“You’re my brother,” he said, in earnest.

“Yeah, well, my brother’s dead,” Daryl said, not really meaning to be so gruff, but it was a coping mechanism for him. If he was repelling people around him, by being a complete dick, it wouldn’t feel so bad when he’d leave.

Rick didn’t stop badgering him though. He followed him into the house, and into the room Daryl had been using for sometime now. He had not wanted to be alone, so Rick had invited him into his house, and given him a room. It was messy and he still refused to use a bed, instead opting to sleep on a mattress on the floor, but it was his room. He kept tossing some items on the mattress and thinking where he’d carry them. Up until now he had been pretty much made it with what ever he could obtain on the run, but he knew he’d never make it alone if he’d continue with along that line.

Alone. It had such a horrible echo to it.

“Ya think I’mma stay here like a beat up watch dog and keep sittin’ on the fuckin’ porch ‘cos those assholes got a problem with me?” Daryl asked from Rick who stood behind him.

“Hey,” Rick said, voice all stern and demanding attention, and it made Daryl stop packing.

“What?”

“You’re my brother, Daryl, I’m not goin’ to let them treat you any different,” Rick said, stepping next to the man he was staring intently. Daryl started slowly to feel uncomfortable under his scrutiny but said nothing. Rick shifted from foot to foot, and Daryl realized he was actually feeling antsy.

Daryl stopped his gathering of stuff, and turned to look at the Officer in front of him, “Why’s that?”

“We’re family,” Rick answered. He looked at the man he’d learned to trust over the time they had spent together, the man who had grown out of the shadow of his older brother and was now standing there as his own man. He licked his lips, shifting again, hooking his thumb underneath the gun belt that hung low on his narrow hips. His other hand resting idly on the holster of his Colt Python. He shook his head, looking out of the window, “We… need you, Daryl,” he said nervously.

“The hell ya need me,” Daryl growled, “Them fuckers ain’t even trusting me with a fucking job!”

“I’ll talk to them! They don’t know you like we know you,” Rick said, almost pleaded him to listen to him, “I’m not gonna let ya go. Not like this,” Rick continued, and suddenly – quite possibly scaring himself as well – reached over and took a hold of Daryl’s hand. Both of the men stopped, they froze. Daryl stared at Rick and vice versa, as he still held onto his hand. Rick felt his own hand as well Daryl’s trembling, but he didn’t know how to let go. Instead, he scooped Daryl’s hand better in between both of his hands, and laced his fingers with the Archer’s.

“Hey, look at me,” Rick whispered, leaning down just enough to catch Daryl’s eyes from underneath that hair he’d allowed to grow so long, “Just… Let me talk to them.”

“I ain’t gonna fit in here,” Daryl said frowning.

“Hey, you’ll fit right here,” Rick’s answer was as soft as his hand on Daryl’s cheek, “In my heart.”

Daryl stiffened, tensing when the hand brushed gently over his cheek, but the words ‘in my heart’, made him groan out loud and with a deep sigh lean into the caress and even bringing his own palm over Rick’s.

“I can’t let you leave,” Rick said, stepping closer, “I can’t let the man I’ve grown to love and trust leave just because someone in this town has issues with him.”

His words were soothing to Daryl.

“I’m gonna make it alright,” Rick whispered, bringing his other hand up to his shoulder, “I’m gonna make sure - -,” he continued, but didn’t quite get to finish, when Daryl lunged forward and kissed him with such a ferocity that it nearly knocked him out.

The kiss was all tongue and desperation. It was all want and desire.

Rick’s fingers tangled into Daryl’s hair as the two men nearly danced in circles before Rick’s back slammed against the wall. He too was too anxious and too lost in need to bother to think about it. He reached down and began peeling the black angel wing vest off of Daryl, whose hands were now wandering down to his gun belt, unbuckling it to get the thick, heavy leather off of his waist.

The vest was tossed on the ground, the buttons of Daryl’s shirt opened one by one under Rick’s dexterous fingers. Rick’s new shirt took a rough hit when Daryl didn’t have enough patience to start opening the buttons one by one, and instead ripped it open. Rick spun him around, and he let out a groan when he was smashed against the corner of his bedroom.

“Jesusfuck!” Daryl groaned out loud, and then allowed Rick to pull him down on the mattress on the floor.

* * *

It hadn’t been slow and gentle, not at first. It had been fiery, explosive and urgent; at least until the both of them had received their first gratification. The importance of their coiled bodies against each other, and the feeling of the touches, and the desire that burned in their eyes had demanded for them to slow down and enjoy every inch, every second of each other. Their bodies had been a tangled mess, clothes torn from their skin, tossed somewhere in the room. Arching limbs, backs, curved lips showering kisses, desperate fingers clutching onto hot and sweaty skin, strong and weak moans filling the room in a jumbled symphony. More and more had been demanded, and equally as much had been given.

* * *

Daryl curled against Rick’s chest, smiling in his sleep. Rick could feel it against his skin. Daryl had fallen asleep, clinging onto him and unwilling to let go. Rick had no reason to ask him to do that either, as he either couldn’t stop grinning. His thumb kept rubbing soothingly over the forearm of Daryl’s that was splayed over his chest, while his other hand slowly petted and twirled with his hair.

With these ministrations he could practically hear Daryl purring contently, and snuggling even closer. Daryl drew in a deep breath, the heartbeat of Rick’s slowly calming down after their exhausting escapade of desperate want and need.

“I love you, Daryl,” Rick whispered and pulled the Archer tightly against him, before he allowed himself to fall asleep as well.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Please let me know what you think!


End file.
